Any Captain Worth Her Salt
by monokowritesstuff
Summary: A weary Captain Murasa Minamitsu invites a crew of 8 spirited away humans to join her on her beloved ship. However, these humans have more to them that meets the eye, and seen to attract trouble wherever they go. It's up to Murasa & her ragtag crew to stop the new evil that began to rise in Gensokyo after their arrival.
1. Prologue

**_Prologue_**

Murasa Minamitsu had never been one to turn down a crew with potential. In all her years of sailing, she knew never to let first impressions cloud her judgement. After all, people on land are always different when they get on the open seas. However... this time was different. The S. S. Palanquin had fallen into a state of disrepair, as she hadn't seen a crew in over 6 months. Desperate, Murasa had turned to every bar and pub in Gensokyo to find SOMEONE to help her on this godforsaken ship. Her search had proved fruitless, until she had eavesdropped on a conversation in a quaint little pub in the human village.

"Did you hear about that group of humans that recently crossed over the border?"

"Surprisingly, I didn't. The Bunbunmaru News hadn't reported on it."

"You still read that silly old newspaper? Ah, no matter. A group of 8 humans just kinda... appeared in front of the Hakurei Shrine."

"Humans can still do that? It's been so long since it last happened."

"Apparently so. Though, they don't seem like regular humans. They've got to have SOME sort of power, to come here."

Murasa turned to the patron next to her, hoping to garner more information.

"So, did ya happen to hear about those 8 humans that recently showed up?"

The white haired... youkai? Next to her took a slow, decisive drink from her glass. Murasa could clearly see she had information, but was reluctant to tell it.

"Perhaps I did, perhaps I didn't. Who needs to know?"

"Ah, well, see, I was looking for a crew to serve on my ship. She's... fallen into rough waters, and as of late, I just haven't been able to keep a crew."

"...I may be able to help, but tell me something, ship ghost: how do I know I can trust you?"

Thinking carefully, Murasa formulated a tactful response. If she didn't respond juuuust right, she could kiss her chances of finding a crew goodbye.

"Well... um... there isn't much I can offer in the way of trust, but, I can guarantee you that I've been sailing for quite a long time, and not of single one of my crew has been lost to the briny depths. Human or otherwise."

The white haired woman stared into the depths of her glass, with a furrowed brow, and an intimidating scowl. After what seemed like ages, she set down her glass, and turned to the captain with a slightly softened expression.

"While I still don't trust you 100%, I do know that you're a member of Byakuren's little squadron, so you have at least some credit. I am Keine Kamashiwara. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I do indeed know something about those eight humans you seek. Come see me here, and we'll talk more."

After giving Murasa a piece of paper with a hastily scribbled address on it, Keine quickly rose from her seat, tossed a few bills onto the bartop, and disappeared into the balmy night air. Giving just a few moments of hesitation, Murasa chased after her. Tonight may just be her lucky night after all.


	2. Chapter 1

It took Murasa an oddly long amount of time to find the address. The Human Village had so many twists and turns, all the houses looked the same, and not to mention the quality of Keine's handwriting.

'Jeez... I'm a sailor, and even my handwriting is neater than this.' She thought, more worried about Keine's patience than the state of her possible future crew.

Eventually, though, she found the house, and with a deep breath, she gave a confident knock on the door. To her surprise, it was not Keine who answered. It was a tall, blue haired man, who loomed over Murasa in quite a threatening way.

"Ah, hello there! Ms. Kamashiwara!" he shouted in a soft british accent, "You have a visitor!"

He turned back to Murasa, and gave her a quite unexpectedly warm smile.

"Oh, do come in. It was not my intention to leave you in this muggy weather."

Murasa gave a hesitant 'thank you', and reluctantly entered. Sitting in the front room were a group of 7 people. They looked human enough, though their style of dress was otherworldly. A lanky teenager in a black coat seemingly stared her down, but instead addressed the man behind her.

"Oi, shut the door. You're letting all the mosquitos in."

Something about this rubbed her the wrong way. The young man was a hard one to read, as his expression was constantly one of either inherent disdain, or pure blankness. She couldn't tell.

"Um... well, this IS Kiene's house, right? I haven't seen her around, and we have something important to speak about."

No sooner than when she finished her sentence, Keine came into the room, balancing dishes on top of a hot pot. The tall brit immediately rushed to her aid, despite her protests. After setting the dish down on the table and muttering a thank you to her eager helper, she addressed the seven people sitting.

"Is Jonathan the only person with manners out of you? Did any of you bother to greet our guest?"

They all issued the captain a terse greeting, and Keine turned to her with a sigh.

"This, Captain Minamitsu, is your potential crew. Including dear Jonathan, of course. I can go fetch you a log book, if you'd like? I am under the impression that records and such are very important to sailors, are they not?"

"Y-yes, thank you." she said while kneeling to sit.

As she looked over the eight people in front of her, she took note of each and every one of their facial expressions. They all varied heavily, and yet still had a sense of familiarity about them.

"W-well, I should introduce myself, shouldn't I? I'm Murasa Minamitsu, proud captain of the S. S. Palanquin. It is a pleasure to meet you all. May I have your names, as well?"

They all whispered amongst themselves, and finally the enormous brit piped up.

"I am Jonathan Joestar. I ask you to please excuse the manners of my relatives. They are still quite wary of this new world."

A chipper man with wild hair and a bright scarf spoke next, in an easygoing british accent.

"Joseph Joestar, at your service! And might I add, you're quite the looker, darlin-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the disdainful teenager from earlier smacked him in the back of the head. He then spoke in a gruff voice.

"Jotaro Kujo. You're kind of... wimpy, for a ship captain."

Murasa rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the next person, another teenager with an even wilder hairstyle than Joseph's.

"I'm Josuke Higashikata. I don't know all that much about this sailor stuff, but I don't mind helpin' out!"

Something told Murasa that she was gonna like him. He seemed honest and hardworking. A boy who looked no older than 15 with golden hair spoke next.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance as well, Miss Minamitsu. I am Giorno Giovanna."

He had a slight accent as well, but she couldn't quite place it. Somewhere in Europe, definitely. A girl with hair buns and the same disdainful expression as Kujo was next to introduce herself.

"I'm Jolyne Cujoh. Nice to meet you, or whatever."

She wasn't as terse as Jotaro, but her tone still worried Murasa. She hoped that those two wouldn't give her too much trouble. Second to last was a blonde young man in a wheelchair.

"Johnny Joestar, here to please. 'M not sure how much help I can be, though."

Murasa gave him a wry smile. Every sailor is important to the crew, no matter what holds them back. He'd probably be the most useful of them all. The last person cracked a huge grin, revealing a quite evenly spaced gap in between his teeth.

"I'm Josuke Higashikata too! Though, they all call me Gappy."

Before Murasa could respond, Keine had returned with the logbook. She dropped it in front of the captain, and handed her a rather nice ink pen.

"Pardon my interruption. I hope this fine group of humans makes a good crew for you. As for myself, I shall be turning in for the night. Please don't forget to do your chores. Divide them amongst yourselves evenly, for goodness sakes. We don't want another incident."

They all nodded in agreement, then focused back onto the captain. Murasa clasped her hands together and gave a bright smile.

"So! As Kiene has probably told you, I'm here to recruit crew members for my ship. This is purely a-"

"As much as we appreciate your generous offer, we're trying to get home. That's our main concern right now. Unless you can get us there, then we'll have to kindly decline. This freaky world is nice and all, but we have family waiting for us." Jotaro interjected.

Murasa panicked internally. She COULD get Yukari to send them home, but that would mean she'd lose her crew. But, she wouldn't have them in the first place if she didn't meet their demands. Their expectant stares caused her to fidget like a freshly caught fish.

"Um... well, I can, there's just.. One problem. The person who can get you back... Isn't here right now! We haven't seen her in a while, and nobody knows her current whereabouts. If you join my crew, then I can guarantee that you'll not only get home safe and sound, but also faster than you would sitting around here in Keine's place." Murasa stammered.

Once more, they whispered and mumbled among themselves. It seemed to her that they were either all related in some way, or a very closely knit group of friends that happened to have a few common links. Either way, all their decisions were made as a unit. Murasa appreciated this dynamic they had, as it was important for the line of work that they might involve themselves in if things went her way. The whispering continued on for ages, and after what seemed like forever, Jonathan once more spoke.

"Miss Minamitsu, we have decided to take you up on this opportunity. My descendants and I agree that time spent busy is much more useful to us than time spent idle."

"Thank you! I promise, you won't regret this at all," she said, dropping the nervous sailor girl act. "Now, let's see... meet me at the dock by six o'clock in the morning, sharp. We set sail by seven. Anyone not on the ship by then gets left behind. No exceptions. Get some rest, crew. You'll need it."

Rising from her seat, she gave them a quick bow, and made her way out of the door. Before she left, she turned one last time, and gave them a piece of advice.

"Don't forget to do your chores. They'll be a lot worse on the Palanquin~!"


	3. Chapter 2

Murasa stood impatiently on the deck of the Palanquin. She checked her watch again, as if that would miraculously make them show up.

"It's 6:30! Do these people not know the meaning of punctuality?!" She griped.

Finally, she saw Josuke's strange hairstyle appear a little ways away. She began to wave her arms and call to them.

"OI! HURRY UP! YOU'RE ALL LATE! ANY CAPTAIN WORTH HER SALT WOULD HAVE DROPPED YOU BY NOW!"

Only two of them picked up the pace, and unsurprisingly, it was Jonathan and Giorno leading the charge. When they all ambled their way onto the main deck, Captain Minamitsu's patience had began to wear thin.

"I told you all to meet me here at six o'clock. On the dot. Private Josuke, what time is it?"

"Um… six… forty five??"

"Exactly. Private Jonathan, educate me, do you all happen to be on time? Or are you late?"

"It appears that we are quite late, Mi- I mean, Captain Minamitsu."

"I'm glad you aren't as dense as I initially thought. KUJO! Tell me what this means for our departure time."

"I was under the impression that you'd know, but maybe our captain isn't as bright as she thinks she is. It means we'll be leaving later than expected."

Murasa glared at him. What kind of idiot talks back to their superior at a time like this?

'He's got balls, I'll give him that,' she thought. 'But what I WON'T do is entertain this disrespect. It'll encourage mutiny.'

"Well, Kujo, you're quite the smart cookie, aren't you? It'd behoove you to take some of that attitude and snark out of your voice. The only reason I'm letting it slide now is because it's your first day. Keep that in mind, lackey. Anyway, as I was saying, you all are late. That means that we will leave later than expected. Therefore, you'll all have to work double time. Now, unless someone, that isn't Jonathan," she said, glancing at the all too eager brit, "is willing to take all responsibility and deal with the added consequences, then you all will be put on cleaning and upkeep. Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

Not a single one of them spoke. They even managed to prevent themselves from holding council. She was slightly proud, but also unhappy with the state of their ethics. THIS was the crew that the gods had handed her. Somehow, she felt that something… bizarre was going to happen, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Is that so? I expected better from you all." She said in a disgustingly sweet voice. "No matter. Private Jonathan, rig the sails. Private Joseph, chart our course. Private Josuke and Private Jolyne, start loading our cargo. Private Giorno, get everyone's sleeping spaces together. Private Johnny, go down to the kitchen, and figure out rations. Private… Gappy? You're on crow's nest duty. Watch out for threats. And as for you, Kujo," she once more picked up that sickly sweet tone. "You can scrub all the decks. I want to be able to see my reflection in them. Understand?"

None of them uttered a word, but she could see it all in their faces. They were all quite peeved at her commands, all save for Kujo. Even at a time like this, he managed to keep up that disdainful front. It was admirable, in its own strange way.

"Well, don't just stand there and gawk at me, get to work!"

They all scrambled off to go do their respective jobs, and Murasa decided to take this time to try and gather her thoughts. Returning to her quarters, she flopped down on her chair and gave a huge sigh.

'What in the world am I gonna do? This crew... They're too much! I can't just let them go... But my sanity and quality of life are at stake, for sure.'

She was forcibly jerked out of her daydreaming session by the sound of yelling and crashes. Rushing to the porthole, she saw Josuke and Kujo... She couldn't put what she was seeing into words. The two were glowing with some sort of powerful energy, and somehow were standing still, yet still inflicting damage on one another.

'...W-what the hell?? I SHOULD go do something about this, but... what could I possibly do??'

Murasa took a deep breath, steeled her nerves, and flung open her cabin door. The resulting bang of it hitting the wall startled the pair into dropping their quarrel almost immediately.

"Kujo. Higashikata. In my office. NOW. "

She turned on her heel and waited for the sound of them trailing behind her. She entered her office and sunk into her chair. The two were a sight for a sore eyes. Their clothes were tattered, dirty, and covered in bloodstains. Kujo had a black eye, and Josuke's hair was a mess. Immediately, Josuke launched into an explanation.

"Listen, Cap, I know you're probably really pissed at us, but I promise-"

Murasa held up a hand for silence, and gave him a look that said 'shut your yap before things get worse for you'.

"I don't care how this started. I don't care who started it. Hell, I don't even care why you did it. What I wanna know, is what kind of special powers do you have? Clearly, you aren't just some ordinary humans with a questionable fashion taste. Not to be spirited away here, of all places. So spill the beans."

The duo stared at eachother, processing her statement. They all sat there, silently, and things stayed like this for quite a while. Murasa then once more spoke.

"I'd rather you not stall like this. I've seen what you can do, and I've seen that... Aura, you both have. You aren't the only strange ones around these parts."

Josuke went to speak, but paused. Murasa could see he was unsure of what to say. She didn't mind. She had time to spare. Suddenly, she heard creaking, and looked up to see the lamp in the ceiling starting to fall. Before she knew it, her whole body had frozen, and in an instant, she was on the floor, out of harm's way. Kujo crouched warily next to her, waving a hand in front of her face.

"You alright? I know time stops can be pretty disorienting when it's your first time."

"T-time stops?!" she exclaimed.

Kujo sighed, and out of nowhere, another... Human? Creature? (At this point, Murasa didn't care.) appeared.

It had wild, flowing hair, and was pretty much naked, save for a loincloth-type garment.

"W... What the hell is that?!"

"This is a stand. Almost all of us have one. Old man Jonathan doesn't, but that's because he has a power of his own." he explained.

"Every stand has its own unique ability." continued Josuke. "For example, my Crazy Diamond can fix anything, including people. Can't bring back the dead, though."

"And my stand, Star Platinum, is extremely precise, with the added bonus of being able to stop time. Not for very long, though." Kujo added.

"So, you're telling me that all of you have these... Spirit, things? And, if you don't mind me asking, how would one go about acquiring one of these, 'stands'?" Murasa questioned. It still didn't make 100% sense to her, but she grasped the basic concept.

"For the first question, we can show you better than we can tell you. As for the second, we were all born with our stands, so we don't really know how to actually get one outside of being in a family that has users." Josuke sheepishly explained.

"Well then, show me!" she said excitedly. For some reason, she felt like a kid in a candy store.

It's not like she minded, all that much.


	4. Chapter 3

All 8 of the Joestars stood in a line on the upper deck, some unsure of what the cause of this was.

"So, Josuke and..."

"Jotaro."

"Yes, yes, my bad. Josuke and Jotaro have informed me that you all have a special spirit, called a... Stand, I think? Would you mind showing me them? If you're not comfortable, that's fine, but I'd like to know."

A few of them fidgeted, visibly uncomfortable.

"Ah, I understand! You all probably think I'm a stand user as well. I assure you, that while I do have powers of my own, they mean you no harm. I don't have a stand, like you do."

Their faces eased up at this, and Murasa breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"So, um... Jonathan, why don't you show off first?"

Jonathan lowered his head and almost whispered,

"Well... I am also... Stand-challened... But... I have something special of my own, if you so desire to see it?"

Murasa nodded eagerly, wondering what he could bring to the table, despite not being a stand user.

'Maybe he uses danmaku, like me? It'd be quite strange, but so are stands.'

Jonathan began inhaling tons of air while pursing his lips, making it sound like he was about to hock a loogie. His hands and forearms began to glow and spark, and the air was filled with a combination of sharp electric snaps and the sound a wine glass makes when you rub your finger along the rim.

"This may hurt a bit, miss. I sincerely apologize in advance." he said, firmly grasping Murasa's shoulder.

Her entire body began to buzz violently. Every inch of her,from her head to her toes, was vibrating at the speed of light. Her mouth filled with the taste of steel, and her teeth were clenched so hard that she felt that she would bite through her jaw. But, almost as soon as the feeling bowled her over, it stopped.

"Again, I sincerely apologize if I hurt you, but it was for a good reason. How do you feel?" he said in a gentle voice.

Murasa was too shocked to answer properly, but the truth was she felt amazing. Her body still tingled a little bit, but it was less holy-crap-I'm-gonna-die and more pleasantly-aggressive-massage-chair. When she finally regained control of her fine motor skills, she almost jumped for joy.

"That was so UNBELIEVABLY cool! It did hurt, like a lot, but I've never felt this nimble in my life! Or, well, not in my death, either. Do you have a name for this technique?"

His cheeks flushed strawberry red in almost an instant, and he ruffled his hair timidly.

"Some call it 'the ripple', and others prefer the term 'hamon'. I use both, but hamon is more common. Perhaps I can teach it to you sometime. You seem like you have a knack for it. Ah, but I am stealing the spotlight. Would someone else like to, 'show off'?"

Joseph stepped forward, eager to show off to foster his boisterous pride as always.

"Of course, he's not the only hamon user around, but that's not what you called us here for, is it~? Watch closely now, toots."

Purple, thorny vines creeped their way up Joseph's arms, tangling and writhing like tiny snakes, and yet, that distinct wineglass rim noise still lingered in the air.

"This is my stand, Hermit Purple. Its abilities include spirit photography, hamon augmentation, unbelievable elasticity, unmatched tensile strength, and the best grip you've ever seen."

"Spirit photography? What's that?"

"Well... It's hard to explain. I'd have to have a ¥300,000 camera. Basically, when I smash one using Hermit Purple, it takes a picture of... Whatever I'm trying to find, I guess? It used to take pictures of my arch nemesis, but he's gone now, so I have no clue what it would capture now."

"I see, I see. Since I've already seen Star Platinum and a tiny bit of Crazy Diamond, how about you go next, Giorno?"

He strode forward, pulled a bobby pin out of his hair, and held it out to her.

"Hold this for me, if you don't mind? It's important."

Murasa wondered what this had to do with his stand.

"You see, my stand, Gold Experience, is in the business of giving life. And healing, as well, but I'll let Josuke have that spotlight," he said, grabbing Murasa's hand. "I don't want to mess up your senses instead of giving life to the pin, so hold still, if you please."

A shimmering, gold plated arm extended itself from inside of Giorno's regular arm, used its pointer finger to give the hairpin a gentle tap, and fizzled into thin air. The hairpin was encased in a bubble like film, and with a tiny pop, it 'hatched' into a ladybug.

"Ah! That was... Not at all what I was expecting. But still, it's interesting to think of the potential this thing has." she said while watching the ladybug scamper about, turning her hand to give it more places to explore.

"Thank you, Captain. However, I think we should have the others just explain their stands, as we're losing daylight quite quickly."

"Ah, yes, you're right. Jolyne, Johnny, Gappy, after you go, we've gotta get this ship out to sea."

After their explanations, Murasa took a mental tally of all their abilities, hoping she could keep track of them all.

Jonathan has hamon. Joseph has hamon and Hermit Purple. Jotaro has Star Platinum. Josuke has Crazy Diamond. Giorno has Gold Experience. Jolyne has Stone Free. Johnny has Tusk. Gappy has Soft Wet. Hamon-Hermit-Star-Diamond-Experience-Stone-Tusk- Wet. Gotta remember that.

Murasa clapped her hands and flashed a smile.

"Alrighty then! Ready to set off?"

They all answered in the affirmative, and went to their stations. Murasa stood on the prow, and pointed proudly into the distance.

"Onward, crew, to find Yukari and get you home!"


	5. Chapter 4

6 months had passed since the Joestars and Murasa set off to find Yukari, and their labour had been proven unfruitful. Murasa was on her back, lying on the top deck, letting the sun warm her body, bouncing her foot to some unknown beat.

"Um... Captain? There's... There's a ship approaching..." Gappy yelled from the crow's nest.

"Huh? Are you sure?" she shouted back.

He didn't have to answer, however, because something cast a huge shadow across the deck, throwing it into almost darkness. Murasa jolted up, and turned her head to see an enormous ship. She couldn't really see, but she swore she saw a person on the deck who looked just like Yukari. A hook latched itself to the deck of the Palanquin, causing it to grind to a halt. A girl with a checker patterned skirt slid down it, grinning all the while. Her brown pigtails fluttered in the wind, but somehow it looked... unnatural.

"Hatate Himekaidou, of the Kakashi Spirit News, reporting live aboard the S. S. Weakling!" she said as she somersaulted onto the deck. "We've managed to get an exclusive interview with the captain herself! So, Ms. Minamitsu, how does it feel to be traveling with those scumbag Joestars?"

A bright flash blinded Murasa, and she felt something smack her in the back of the head. The last thing she heard was Gappy's distressed shout as she went down.

Murasa eventually awoke, surrounded by pitch blackness. She tried to move, but she felt rope cut into her wrists and ankles. She struggled for a while, until she heard the clicking of heels grow closer and closer.

"Ah, so you've finally awoken." a sagely voice said. "Good. DIO will be pleased. Though, I'm not sure why he took you, of all people. Compared to everyone else, you're practically a nobody."

"Y-Yukari? Where have you been?! Everyone in Gensokyo has been looking for you so you cou-"

"Still your tongue. A worm like you has no business speaking to me in this manner. Now, you will answer my questions, and I will then take my leave." Yukari spat.

Murasa felt a pair of hands roughly force her into a chair, and she saw a hand light a lamp. She finally was able to see Yukari's face, and the gap youkai looked awful. Her face was waxy and paid, and her eyes were sunken and hollow. Her hair was messy and filled with split ends, and her usual soft, motherly features were sharpened and quite terrifying.

"Now, ship ghost, we can make this quick and easy, as long as you cooperate. Why were you harbouring the Joestars on your ship?"

"...I needed a crew. I was desperate. You're acting so different. What happened, Yukarin-"

Yukari slapped her. Extremely hard. Murasa's cheek throbbed, and Yukari looked absolutely livid.

"Don't you ever call me that again. My name is Yukari. As a matter of fact, to you, it's Lady Yakumo. Now, answer me this, ship ghost: what do you know about them? Tell me everything, or you'll sincerely regret it."

"I don't know anything, alright?! I just met the crazy bastards 6 months ago, and it's not like they tell me anything! They barely trust me..." Murasa trailed off. Not that they had any reason to.

"Tch. I knew you were useless. I've heard enough. Perhaps DIO will be merciful, and return you to your preeecious 'crew'."

And with that, she turned on her heel, put out the lamp, and left Murasa in the darkness once more. What felt like hours passed, and suddenly, a dim light appeared once more. A shadowy figure stood, somewhat out of view.

She began to wriggle in wake of the shadowy figure that was slowly coming close enough to touch, hoping, praying, that this person was here to save her.

'L-listen, I don't know who you are, but if you bring any harm to me or my crew, be prepared for a world of hurt.' she wanted to say. The words caught in her throat and died as soon as they were created.

The shadowy figure stood her up, and untied the ropes constricting her. A smooth and persuading voice caressed her ear, sending chills down her spine. Whoever it was, they had gotten behind her without so much as a creaking floorboard.

"Madame Minamitsu, surely you grow tired of these childish games, no? Instead of continuing to protect that Joestar scum, why not join Lady Yukari and I?" it whispered, causing her to shudder. "While you may not be exactly what we're searching for, you still have so much... Untapped potential. It is wasted, here, with these mediocre fools."

"I would never betray my crew like that. I don't know what you've done to Yukari, but I will do everything in my power to rescue her from your clutches." She stammered, embarrassed at her cowardliness.

"It's such a shame things had to come to this. I had expected more cooperation from a seasoned ship captain such as yourself. No matter, however. If I cannot convince you to join, then I am forced to do things the hard way."

The owner of the voice snapped, and out of the shadows came a girl with short black hair, glowing red eyes, and a pair of mismatched red and wings that looked razor sharp. A blue and green snake bracelet twisted itself around the arm she used to push some of her hair out of the way.

"N... Nue? I thought you..." Murasa trailed off, unable to process the given situation. Nue was supposed to be back at the Myouren Temple, lazing about, much to Lady Hijiri's chagrin.

"Houjuu, darling, be a dear and restrain this defector," the voice said, leaning away from Murasa's ear. "You should be honored. I don't usually take the time to bother with individuals such as yourself."

Nue sprung forward, and grabbed Murasa's arms, forcefully drawing them behind her back. She held them with an iron grip, and her hands were as cold as ice.

"Nue, it's me, Murasa! This isn't like you! What would Lady Hijiri sa-"

A hand clamped itself onto Murasa's mouth, silencing her pleas for help. The owner of the voice, a strikingly pale man with shockingly vivid blonde hair, stepped into view, with a sinister grin plastered on his face.

"This hurts me more than it hurts you, dear ship ghost. This will be over soon enough, so just relax, and stay still. I wouldn't want to kill you, for that would be SUCH a waste." he said, his voice dripping with artificial syrupy sweetness.

Hair-like tentacles with knife sharp points at the end surrounded Murasa, and a pale hand gripped her chin, turning her face this way and that. It finally decided on an angle, and one of the tentacles pulled back like an angry cobra about to strike. Murasa shut her eyes, preparing to lose everything she had worked for. But the sharp stabbing pain she had expected never came. She opened one eye to see not one, but two blades close to her face. One was definitely from the man, without a doubt, but the other was flat and a little less sharp, and was emitting tiny orange sparks and a noise like a finger rubbing the edge of a wine glass.

Murasa knew that noise from anywhere.

"JOMAPHAN? JOPHEPH? IPH THAT YOU?" she shouted, hoping that they could hear her despite the muffling.

 _It had to be one of them, right? They're the only hamon users I know... But that blade looked like it was wielded by someone my height, based on where it was..._

"Y'know, I would have expected the _Oh-So-Great-And-Powerful-DIO_ to be more strong than this. I mean, a little ripple and a dull sword? You CAN'T be this weak." a voice said.

A young, female voice, with a weird mix between a Japanese and British accent.

A young girl with sunglasses and a shoulder length, ink black bob stepped out from behind DIO as he fell, twirling a broadsword like a baton with one of her hands.

"I mean, isn't that a story to tell? A child, an adopted Joestar, no less, defeated you. I can just see the headlines now," she said, gesturing wildly. "'Shizuka Joestar, age 13, eradicates vampire menace' has a pretty nice ring to it, wouldn't ya say?"

She looked Murasa up and down, a puzzled look on her face.

"You must be Murasa, then. Ready to blow this popsicle stand, toots?" The strange girl said, touching her shoulder and giving her a sly wink.

Murasa looked around, trying to figure out what had changed. She turned around to see Nue looking for her confusedly. To her surprise, Nue had also released her wrists, but the girl immediately grabbed one of them.

"Listen, as much as I'd love to stick around and give that chick a piece of my mind, the others are waiting for us, I can only use Achtung Baby to make you invisible for so long, and something tells me that's not the last we're gonna see of DIO. We gotta go."

"Understood. Lead the way, uh..."

"Shizuka. You could call me JoJo, but no one really does. I don't blame 'em."

"Got it. Thank you for rescuing me, Shizuka. I was worried I was a goner out there."

The girl simply flashed her a sly grin and continued forward. Something about her seemed oddly familiar. And all at once, the cause for that strange feeling struck Murasa.

 ** _'Watch closely now, toots!'_**

 ** _'Ready to blow this popsicle stand, toots?'_**

Somehow, this strange girl was the spitting image of Joseph Joestar. She looked nothing like him, and yet... They were almost like twins. She'd definitely have to grill the brit with questions if she made it back in one piece.

Though, something about this strange girl's demeanor made her think about changing that 'if' to a 'when'.


	6. Chapter 5

Eventually the pair came out into blindingly bright sunlight, on the deck of an unfamiliar ship. A rope tethered it to a not-so-unfamiliar ship, and 8 faced stared worriedly at her and Shizuka. She gave them a wave, and they reluctantly waved back. They carefully walked across the rope, the smell of seawater making Murasa teeter a bit. For some reason, intense waves of nausea rocked her body like a tiny boat caught in a huge storm. It brought back painful memories. She wrenched her eyes shut and continued along. She felt her feet touch solid ground, and she gently opened them to see her crew worriedly gathered around her. Shizuka disengaged the rope attaching them to the other ship with a slight roll of the eyes.

"'Cap! You're back, and okay!"

"We were unbelievably worried about you..."

"I'm sorry I didn't do anything to help... It all happened so fast!"

"D'you know who nabbed you?"

"Who was that girl?"

"What happened to you?"

"You seem pretty shaken up. You alright?"

"Oi, give the girl some space, for God's sake!"

Jolyne helped her sit down on the sun-warmed deck. Murasa massaged her wrists and ankles and slumped forward, clearly exhausted from the entire ordeal. Her hat slipped off her head with this, clearly admitting defeat alongside its wearer. A heavy silence fell over them.

"I saw... Her." she finally said. "She... She was a sight for sore eyes, to say the least. I don't know what happened to her, but she was so... Different."

"'She'? Who do you mean, 'Cap?" Josuke asked.

"Yukari. The person who's supposed to be getting you home." Murasa replied, running her hands through her soft, curly hair. "When she wasn't insulting me, she kept mentioning this person. DIO, I think his name was? I believe I met him as well."

"She sure did. I saw his ugly mug too, clear as day." Shizuka chimed in, sitting a little too close to the edge of the ship for comfort.

8 gasps reverbed around Murasa all at once. Jotaro, Joseph, and Jonathan all grimaced as if they had heard this spiel before.

"Y-you did say, DIO, correct? Because if that's the case... I fear your world, Gensokyo, is in grave danger..." said Jonathan.

"Huh? Why d'you say that? Yeah, Yukari might be acting a little loopy, but it's nothing Reimu or somebody can't fix." she confusedly replied.

"You don't understand. That lady, Yukari? She's acting like this because she's under his control. And if there are other powerful beings like her here, he'll definitely go for them next." Jotaro spat.

"So what you're saying is, This DIO guy has Yukari under some sort of mind control?"

"That's exactly what we're saying, hun. And if we don't stop him, he could take over Gensokyo, which is definitely not good." Joseph said grimly.

"So what are we supposed to do about it? He's got Yukari under his spell. She's the one that controls all the borders. It's not like we can stop her..."

"There might be a way." piped up Jonathan, who was silent up until now. "It's quite convoluted, but perhaps Yukari is not the only one he's controlling. If we manage to get them on our side, then perhaps we might stand a chance against them?"

"It's plausible, but here's the thing: Their ship is much, much bigger than ours, and if there is anyone else being puppeted, then they'll have the upper hand, by default. The 9 of us can't defeat them alone." said Murasa.

"Yeah, but judging by this whole situation, Yukari had also been taken from wherever she was before he arrived, and there was that other girl... So, if there is anyone else that got kidnapped, then maybe we can go find something out from whoever happened to be around?" Josuke interjected.

"You make a good point. We should start with Hakugyokurou, as that's where Yukari is usually found. We gotta work quickly, though. Who knows what kind of havoc those two could wreak in that time." said Murasa, not seeing any other option. "It's decided, then. Tomorrow, we'll set sail for Hakugyokurou, the realm of the dead."

The situation was clearly dire, so Murasa attempted to withhold her questions for the moment. However, they ate away at her, regardless.

"Can someone explain where this girl came from?!" She blurted, gesturing to Shizuka.

Shizuka gave a great, bellowing laugh, which definitely didn't fit her lanky frame and delicate-looking structure.

"Oh, me? Like I said, the name's Shizuka. If you're really that curious, I'm from where they are," she said, lazily pointing at the other Joestars. "I got worried about how long they were gone, but there wasn't really much I could do, so I went to bed, same as usual, and I woke up here, on this ship. It had to have been fate playing her hand, 'else it would have dropped me anywhere."

"Well, standard spiriting away faire, but... I'm still wondering something," Murasa paused, trying to work out some phrasing that wasn't offensive. "You and Joseph act pretty similarly... What's the deal with that?"

She gave a huge, toothy grin.

"That's my dad! Adoptive dad, of course, but a father nonetheless. 'S where I get my fusion accent from. I'm of Japanese background, but he's an Englishman, so that way of speaking also stuck."

Murasa turned to Joseph, who was beaming with more pride than ever. Clearly, the grafted lemon doesn't fall far from the host tree, even if that tree was growing apples at first. The girl was pleasant enough; a little headstrong, and extremely carefree, but still a nice addition.

"Is that so? It's great to have another set of hands to help out. If you're comfortable with that arrangement, I mean."

"Pfft, are you kidding me? I wouldn't give up an opportunity like this for the WORLD! How many people can say they've crewed a real, live ship in a faraway land? I'm all on board, Cap'n!" She said, her eyes sparking and twinkling like a galaxy of stars.

Her enthusiasm impressed Murasa. She'll definitely have to stick around.

"Enough lollygagging about. We've got preparations to make, crew! To Hakugyokurou, and hopefully, far enough to save the world!" She roared triumphantly.

Her call was met with an equally excited set of voices. She took her place in the navigation room, and they set off, with no time to waste.


	7. Chapter 6

After what Murasa considered, frankly, the dullest sea voyage in history, she and the Joestars had finally arrived at the land where the living had no place: Hakugyokurou. They all faced the countless stone steps, stalling having to climb them by watching the radiant cherry blossoms tumble and fall. They were mesmerizing, shifting and changing like little fireflies, drifting in the oddly cool breeze.

"Well, this is gorgeous and all, but don't we have some business here to take care of?" Joseph finally intervened.

"Oh, yeah, yeah. Be careful going up the steps. A tumble down those probably wouldn't be survivable." said Murasa.

They began a slow ascent, stopping every so often to catch their breath and marvel at the trees lining the path. They got about halfway up, when a kitsune with an odd hat and a huge, fluffy, golden tails barred their passage.

"None of you are sanctioned for entry. Not only that, but you also had the audacity to insult the dead by bringing MORE living." she said.

"Fair maiden, we mean you no harm. My relatives, myself, and Miss Minamitsu are simply requesting your blessing to investigate Lady Yukari's strange disappearance." said Jonathan.

"Ran, just let us pass, for God's sake. We're here to see Yuyuko, and to get down to the bottom of this whole Yukari situation. This lovely bunch has information, and I'm sure she would be glad to hear it." Murasa explained, her patience wearing thin.

"Hmph. I'll let Lady Yuyuko decide that for herself. Stay put." she replied.

Ran shortly returned, looking disgruntled.

"I am to escort you straight to Lady Yuyuko. Come quickly, for she urgently requires your presence."

They followed the shikigami up the rest of the stairs, slightly saddened at the thinning of the gorgeous trees. They came upon a huge settlement, bordered by water that shone just like the cherry blossom petals. Speckles of light dotted through the bridges they crossed, turning legs into tiny dance floors for only but a moment. Ran stood by a closed door, and gave a gesturing bow.

"Lady Yuyuko is in here. Try not to make fools of yourselves."

And with that, she slid open the door, and took her leave.

"All I'm saying, Reimu, is that- Oh, we have guests. Do come in, for this is an urgent matter." said Yuyuko, chipper as ever.

Murasa and her crew of 9 sat around a tiny table, facing the Hakurei shrine maiden and the governess of the dead. Reimu tented her fingers, trying to cover the bags under her eyes.

"Listen, I know this happens sometimes, the whole spiriting away thing, but this is seriously getting out of hand. You say you've got a way to fix it; so let's cut to the chase and get right to that." she said, clearly exhausted from damage control.

Murasa launched into an explanation, telling all: the Joestars, and how she met them; her encounter with Yukari; and the whole DIO situation. She left out their true abilities, however, as she had a hunch they wouldn't take too kindly to it.

"And so, that's the straight and narrow of it. Jonathan, why don't you tell her about your solution? It's quite ingenious, to say the least."

"Ah, well, it's nothing special, really." he said, humble as ever. "DIO is a formidable foe, so we have to have powerhouses on our side. So, if we 're-kidnap' the other powerful members of Gensokyo society, then perhaps we'll actually stand a chance?"

Reimu and Yuyuko glanced at eachother, clearly surprised that a human knew about the Gensokyo power hierarchy.

"Jonathan, your name was? It may work, however... How would you go about executing this?" questioned Yuyuko.

"That's actually why we're here. We had decided to go around and question all the residents of the main areas of Gensokyo, so we could gather more info about their whereabouts." interjected Murasa.

"I see, I see. I'll assume you came here to talk about Yukari, then?" Reimu said. "There's not much we can give you that you don't already know, but I'll let Yuyuko get into the nitty gritty."

"About 6 months ago, a bloodied and bruised Ran and a half dead Chen had made their way up here. Ran was speaking madness, at least, I had thought so at the time, things such as 'Lady Yakumo has been kidnapped' and 'They almost killed Chen, I don't know what happened'. I tried to calm her down, but she was in hysterics, and her injuries were making her extremely weak. According to her, Yukari had been taken from their home, and Ran was forced to tell the locations of certain others, or the individual in question would kill Chen." Yuyuko explained, pausing to regain her composure. "I let them rest here for a while, and after about 3 months of them living with me, 3 humans showed up. They were quite respectful, but a little lost, so I took them in too. And, the rest is history."

"More humans, you say? Are they still with you?" Murasa said, a mischievous glimmer in her eye.

"Yes, actually. Reimu, would you be a dear and go to fetch them?"

Reimu slowly stood and went off to go find them. She returned with a group of humans, who were all a little overdressed. One was a blonde girl with a periwinkle blue dress and a permanently worried expression on her face. One was a dirty blond haired man who looked kind of scruffy, but surprisingly friendly. The last was a tall, hook-nosed man with a thin, curly mustache and contrastingly fluffy looking hair, a hat precariously perched atop his head. Jonathan's face brightened almost immediately.

"I... I can't believe it! Erina, a-and Robert, and even you, Baron Zeppeli! You got whisked away to this place, as well?" he said, his eyes dotted with tears of joy.

The blonde girl, who Murasa presumed to be 'Erina', leaned in to throw her arms around him.

"Yes, somehow, we did. We were all so worried about you, Jonathan... Whatever happened to you, my love?"

"I couldn't describe it if I tried. I'm simply ecstatic that you all are safe, however! You must tell me, has your stay here been at least somewhat pleasant?"

"As pleasant as getting taken somewhere you're not familiar with can be." replied the brown-haired man, sourly.

"Don't say that, Baron," said the scruffy blonde. "While the circumstances were a little strange, you have to admit, it's quite nice! And Miss Yuyuko here has been nothing but kind."

Yuyuko beamed at this. Erina finally released Jonathan, and looked over at Murasa, a curious look on her face.

"Oh, and who's this? I don't believe we've met before."

"I'm Murasa Minamitsu. Very nice to meet you." she said with a gentle smile.

"What a nice name you have, miss! I am Erina Pendleton-Joestar, and these are my associates, Robert E. O. Speedwagon, and Baron William Zeppeli." she replied, pointing to the other blonde and the mustachioed man, respectively.

Speedwagon gave her a bright and humble smile, while the Baron coolly tipped his hat. They didn't really seem fit for ship work, but she could appreciate their adaptation skills, save for that Zeppeli character. Though, she didn't blame him. Familiarity breeds contempt, and he looked like a man that doesn't like staying in one place all that much, which resonated with her.

"So, I see you're acquainted with these people, Jonathan?" said Yuyuko.

"Oh, yes. Robert and William are two of my dearest friends, and Erina is my beautiful wife, a fact of which I am proud." he said, his face practically glowing with said pride.

"Perfect! They've been telling me all about you, and I see that they weren't leaving out a single detail. Perhaps it would be best if they accompanied you all? That is, if you don't mind?" she said, now addressing Murasa.

"Of course they can. Any extra help is much appreciated. By the sounds of things, we'll have to build up an army to stop those two." she replied. "I do want to ask Ran a few questions, as well, if she's okay with that?"

Yuyuko nodded solemnly and stood.

"I'll take you to her quarters. In the meantime, we should let the family catch up with their acquaintances." she said, practically pushing the ship ghost out of the door.

They silently walked along the maze of wooden floors, coming to stop in front of a door not unlike the one that her and Reimu were speaking in hushed tones behind.

"Try not to get too... In depth, with the questions. This is still a touchy subject for her, and I'd rather her not have to relive too much." Yuyuko whispered.

Murasa nodded in understanding, and slowly pushed open the door.


	8. Chapter 7

Ran knelt next to a heavily bandaged Chen, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Murasa stood tentatively in the doorframe, unsure if she should approach.

"I... I'm sorry this happened to you... You were just a bystander, caught up in something that wasn't your fault..." Ran choked, beginning to sob harder.

Murasa decided to kneel next to her, saying a silent prayer. She couldn't begin to imagine what the shikigami was going through. The only thing she had to compare the situation to was watching her own family weep over her bloated, waterlogged body. Even then, she was an outside party. Not actually involved.

"If it's any consolation, Ms. Ran, one of my crew members... They can heal her, if you wanted them to?" she finally said in a whisper quiet voice.

Ran turned to her, her face still wet with fresh tears.

"T-they can? But... She's so..." her voice caught, unable to express the thought.

"Yes, they can. I can go get them now, if you want?"

She nodded solemnly, and Murasa hastened back to her crew. She opened the door a hair, motioned Josuke over, and closed it behind them.

"So, um... Did you need something, 'Cap? I don't mind helping, but you gotta tell me what you need, first." he said.

Murasa said nothing, grabbed his wrist, and practically dragged him to where Ran was. She looked expectantly back and forth between him and Chen.

"You want me to heal her?"

She nodded in the affirmative, and within the blink of an eye, Chen was stirring. Ran looked absolutely overjoyed.

"I cannot thank you enough for this, ship phantom. If there's anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask." she said.

"Well, I did wanna ask about Yukari... That is, if you're comfortable with that. I can understand why you wouldn't be." said Murasa, with a pause. "Oh, and Josuke, you can go back to the others, if you like."

He flashed a quick thumbs up, and slinked out of the room.

"Ah. I can do that. Let me know if I get too choked up, okay? Thinking about it, even now, it hurts." said Ran.

"I'll be sure to. I only have one burning question, and I'll leave you to tend to Chen. Do you... Do you remember anyone that that person asked you about?"

Ran inhaled a sharp gulp of air, her memories clearly overwhelmingly distinct. Her face darkened, and she practically hissed.

"...That immortal girl. With the white hair and red clothes. From the Bamboo Forest of The Lost. She's the only one I remember."

"Hmm... I think I know who you're talking about. For a person wearing red and white, she's not very lucky." Murasa said, trying to lighten the mood.

"True indeed. I'm sorry that I cannot remember anyone else, though, if I do, I'll be sure to send word out." Ran flatly replied.

Murasa stood and bowed to the shikigami. Even at her worst, Ran had commandeered the utmost amount of respect, especially after what she'd been through.

"Thank you for your time, Lady Ran. I wish well for both you and Lady Chen."

"And I wish the same for you and yours, ship phantom."

Murasa left almost as quietly as she had came in, and attempted to slip into the main room similarly. However, the ruckus inside was too much. Jonathan and Joseph were both holding cups filled to the brim with water, but turned upside down. The rest of the family stood alongside the 3 new humans, chanting furiously.

"I'm not giving up that easily, grandfather! You may as well throw in the towel now!" challenged Joseph.

"While your petty taunts are quite amusing, they mean nothing to me! I shall win this contest, and you will enjoy a slice of humble pie!" retorted Jonathan.

Murasa leaned against the doorframe, trying to stifle back a laugh. Joseph's arm was shaking like a madman, and the water looked about ready to spill. Everyone held their breath, and the water fell onto the carpet with a satisfying sploosh. An enormous roar sounded as Jonathan grinned from ear to ear. Joseph, on the contrary, looked devastated. Murasa couldn't hold back her laughter anymore, and collapsed onto the floor in a fit of giggles. 12 pairs of eyes were drawn to her almost immediately. She wiped away the tears forming in her eyes, and stood back up, once more using the doorframe for support.

"Sorry for the intrusion, everyone. It's just... That was absolutely hilarious! I've never seen a face that funny in my life!" she said, in-between aftershocks of laughter.

"At least one of us can find this situation funny." huffed Joseph.

"Don't be such a sore loser, dude. Jonathan won, fair and square." Jolyne jokingly snapped.

"Of course I did." Jonathan boasted. "Unlike him, I am serious about my training."

The closeness of this family gave Murasa a warm, foreign feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was something that she had never really felt before, even with her own parents. Whatever it was, she enjoyed it immensely. Somehow, some of her bitterness towards humans had melted away, and in its place, this new feeling was left, shining radiantly. Apparently, Murasa's steadily creeping grin wasn't left unnoticed, as she felt a hand tap her lightly on her shoulder.

"Are you feeling alright, miss? Your eyes are all glossed over. You didn't lose too much oxygen from laughing too hard, did you?" said Erina.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking. Just a little... Sentimental, is all." Murasa bashfully replied.

She smiled warmly, and that feeling washed over Murasa again. It wasn't often she got asked questions like that, and especially not so sincerely.

"That's wonderful. How did things go with the fox woman?"

"Pretty good. I've got our next destination all planned out."

"Oh, do tell! Don't leave us in the dark, it's less fun that way." said Joseph.

"We're heading for the Bamboo Forest of the Lost next. Supposedly, someone got kidnapped around there. We're on the lookout for someone with red clothes and white hair."

"Red clothes and white hair, you say? Sounds like that girl Ms. Keine wouldn't stop talking about." Josuke said with an air of slight annoyance. "What was her name again?"

"Fudgywarah no Mokou, or something crazy like that." remarked Jolyne.

"Wait, Mokou, you said? Now I definitely know who we're looking for." said Murasa.

"All the better, then. How soon will our departure be? I do want to say goodbye to Robert and the others before I leave." said Jonathan.

"No need for goodbyes. We're taking them with us. Many hands make light work."

Jonathan's face brightened so much, Murasa could swear she could see his spirits lift out of his body. The 3 people in question also looked quite pleased about this turn of events.

"Now that that's cleared up, we've gotta go. Did anyone see where Yuyuko disappeared to? I wanted to thank her."

"She went to go sleep, I think. That, or to get that miko girl to get some rest. I don't blame them. I could use a nap myself." said Gappy.

"It can't be helped, I guess. We can't waste a second. And I know you all aren't too keen on going back up those stairs. So, let's get moving."

And with her crew plus some newcomers in tow, she set off once more, somewhat excited about sailing with them.


	9. Chapter 8

Murasa was atop the crow's nest, just beginning her watch for the night. It was about 4am, and her exhaustion was finally catching up to her. Her eyes soon grew heavy, and she couldn't help but fall asleep.

 ** _"A girl?! But we did everything in our power to have a boy! This is outrageous!"_**

 ** _"Now, darling, while this is an unfortunate turn of events, you musn't be so hasty in your harsh words. Perhaps she can benefit us in her own way."_**

 _Murasa had relived this exact nightmare an infinite number of times after her death. It still got to her, despite the numerous amount of repetitions of it, and its de-evolution into sounds and feelings._

 ** _"Sit up straight!" "Don't you have any common sense?!" "You're a worthless child."_**

 ** _"No, — , you can't go play with those boys. You're too fragile." "Stay inside. You might get hurt out there." "We do love you, darling, in out own sort of way."_**

 _Her heart ached just thinking about all of the things her parents had ever said to her. Even the little things got under her skin. She was miserable._

 ** _"To the docks? Again? Don't you have anything better to do?"_**

 _The harbor was her one solace. The gentle lapping of the waves and the smooth bobbing of the ships soothed her war-torn heart, mending at least some of the damage._

 ** _"Your heart seems to belong to the sea, lass. How would you like to work aboard my ship? Just for a few days, nothing serious."_**

 _And there he was, without fail. The kindly old ship hand that took her under his wing. He was a fine gentleman, even if Murasa only knew him for 3 days._

 ** _"—, go up to the crow's nest! It's safer for you up there! Our ship may sink, but at least we'll rest easy knowing someone is alive!"_**

 _Of course, stubborn as she was, she didn't listen. This ship was her home, and if it went down, she was going down with it. Or at least, that's what she thought at the time._

 _All at once, her senses were overwhelmed by sea water. It was everywhere. Her stomach, her nose, even her lungs were filled to the brim with saltwater. It clawed at her insides, burning and stinging and leaving destruction in its wake. She wanted out. This feeling was still awful, even now, centuries later. She tried to scream, but the oppressive ocean silenced her. It held her and refused to let go, despite her desperate pleading. It was cruel, merciless, and unfeeling. And she hated it. God, she hated it. Her chest felt like it was going to cave in on itself. Everything began to fade, and her breathing grew more and more shallow..._

Murasa jolted awake, looking around warily. She wasn't underwater, like she had thought, but she was in the crow's nest of a ship. Speedwagon leaned on the railing, a concerned smile on his face.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, miss." he said.

Murasa was unbelievably embarrassed. Her face was wet with tears, and she had a feeling her eyes were red and bloodshot.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came up to get some fresh air, and I heard some pretty hefty screaming. And then I found you, about to fall. You're okay, I hope?" he said.

"...Yeah. I'm alright, I guess." Murasa lied.

"It's impossible to lie to a liar and a cheat, you know. What's troubling you?"

Murasa rubbed the back of her neck. As much as she wanted to bear her soul to him, she also didn't want to be a burden.

"Just had a nightmare, is all. Nothing serious."

"Somehow, I find that hard to believe. You can tell me. I don't mind listening. What was the nightmare about?"

"...My death. Or, at least the circumstances surrounding it."

"Death, huh? I understand. We're all afraid to die, lass. Nothing to be ashamed of."

"No, you don't understand. I'm already dead. They don't call me things like _funa yuurei_ or _ship ghost_ for nothing. I'm the ghost of a drowning victim, and I was originally very bitter against humans. To the point where I would sink every ship I came across. Then, I met Byakuren, and..." Murasa trailed off, her voice beginning to waver. "And, she saved me. Saved me from the monster I had become. Even so... I can't shake my past, and it's been coming back to haunt me for ages, now. Both my living years, and what came after. People still think ill of me, to this day."

She felt something heavy and warm drape itself over her shoulders. He had given her his coat.

"You're not alone. We all have emotional baggage; hell, my past is full of things I regret, and things that I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemies. That doesn't effect you, in the long run. The present is what matters. And besides, we're the lucky ones. We had someone save us. If Mr. Joestar wouldn't have spared my life that night... who knows what I would be up to today. I might not even be alive."

He sighed, and looked up into the starry sky.

"Why don't you tell me about what's weighing on your heart? You seem like you need someone to talk to, especially after what you just told me. Don't leave out a single detail, either."

"It's a long story. I was born in a town where boys were coveted and girls were scorned, so I was a disappointment from the get-go. My childhood was filled with confusion and verbal abuse. My mother hated me. She'd always call me 'stupid' and 'worthless' and other things like that, and my father 'loved' me from arms reach. Everything I did was a mistake. Up until I was... 14, I think? I had always been unhappy. At that age, I discovered my love for the sea. I was always down at the local harbor, watching the ships come in and out of port for hours. When I turned 17, a ship hand invited me to work with him, and I practically jumped at the chance. Everything had been going well, until a surprise storm had hit. The ship was going under fast, and the ship hand tried to save me... But my stubbornness won over, and I drowned along with the rest of the crew. Except, something wouldn't let me move on. I saw my parents when my body was found, and how they wept and wept for days. I screamed and shouted 'Mama! Papa! I'm still alive! I'm right here!', over and over, but they couldn't hear me. I ran away, and ambled about the countryside, sinking every ship I came across. I wandered for so long, I had forgotten my name, and practically everything about myself. Eventually, I ended up here, and Byakuren saved me. That day, she asked me, 'What is your name, funa yuurei?', and while I couldn't remember my real name, I remembered something a local called me, a long time ago. I proudly proclaimed, 'I am Murasa, sinker of ships!' and she giggled at me. My surname didn't come until much later, but I didn't mind. And, well, the rest is history."

She looked wistfully out at the sea, the balmy night air enveloping her like a thick blanket. Murasa missed the Myouren Temple. She missed Byakuren, and Shou, and Nazrin, and Kogasa, and Ichirin, and Nue, and even Mamizou. Speedwagon was silent for a while, but eventually spoke in a whispery tone.

"I see. For a girl your age, you've been through so much. I can see why you wouldn't want to tell anyone about it, especially an old worrywart like me. In fact... You get some rest, Captain. I'll take up the watch from here."

"Oh, no, you don't have to-"

"It's alright. I wasn't planning on sleeping, anyways. You've had a rough night, and you'll need all your strength for when we fight that bastard DIO."

Murasa's protests fell on deaf ears, and eventually she gave up on trying to convince him. As she mounted the ladder to descend to the top deck, she swore she could see his shoulders shake a bit. She retreated into her quarters, and fell into a deep, restful slumber, for the first time in over 100 years.


	10. Chapter 9

When Murasa awoke, the sun was overhead, shining brightly in a cloudless sky. She quickly stood up and practically bolted onto the main deck. The ship was docked next to bamboo that seemed to extend on for forever.

"Well, look who finally decided to join us!" said Joseph.

"Any crew worth their salt would gave dropped you by now!" teased Johnny, echoing her first words to them.

"Leave her alone, the both of you. She was clearly exhausted. And it's not like any of you made an effort to wake her up." said Giorno.

Murasa gave a half smile, and stretched towards the heavens. She felt _amazing_.

"No need to scold them, Gio. Joseph's just mad because Jonathan totally destroyed him at that contest."

Joseph's grin melted into a sneer, and Murasa stuck her tongue out at him. He glared at her for a while, and eventually stuck out his tongue as well. She retaliated by crossing her arms, but he mirrored her, and crossed his arms further than she did. They both stood like this for a while, until Murasa slowly shuffled over and flicked his nose.

"Ow! That's cheating, you salty sea dog!" he yelped, raising his hands to protect from any further attacks.

"All's fair in love and war, _toots_. But, where are the others?"

"They're on shore. Or, most of them are. Mr. Speedwagon has a cold, so Erina and Baron Zeppeli are nursing him back to health." said Johnny.

Murasa winced, and reached at her shoulder to find that she still had Speedwagon's coat wrapped around her shoulders. This was her fault.

"I see. Well... We might be up against something dangerous, so it's for the best." she said, putting it on properly. "We've gotta get a move on. Time's a-wasting."

She ambled her way off the boat onto shore, and saw Shizuka chasing Josuke around with a turtle, Jonathan and Jolyne building tiny sand castles, and Jotaro wading in the water with Gappy.

"Oi! Crew! We're heading into the bamboo!" she said, waving them over.

"Ah, it's time to go?" Jonathan said, standing up and brushing the sand off his trousers.

They all stood at the entrance of the forest, not too thrilled to go in. It was dark, and the bamboo was so condensed that it looked like it would suffocate them.

"...Anyone got a light?" said Shizuka, a touch of fear in her voice.

"I've got a light _er_." said Jotaro.

"I dunno... It's preeeetty dark in there. A lighter probably won't cut it." said Joseph, peering into the thicket.

"We could light some bamboo on fire, to make a torch?" Shizuka anxiously replied.

"Bamboo burns too quickly," contested Murasa. "And besides, it'd make the forest go up in flames. There might be an oil lamp on the Palanquin somewhere, but I wouldn't know where to look..."

"We don't have time for that." said Giorno flatly.

"So what are we to do, then?" said Jonathan, folding his arms.

Murasa sighed, and turned around to face them. She really didn't want to do this, but the situation was dire.

"Just... Follow my lead, try to keep up, and stay behind me. I don't want any of you to get hit."

Her entire body glowed with a soft green light, and her physical form fizzled away, only to reappear a little ways away, still glowing.

"Well, come on then! We're losing daylight, and if the sun sets, it'll only get darker." she taunted, her old mischievous spirit resurfacing.

They continued on like this, with Murasa firing off a bullet every so often to see a little farther ahead, until they came to a clearing with bamboo that was scorched and burnt to ash.

"Woah... This doesn't look like the product of any normal fire..." said Josuke, pinching some of the ash between his fingers.

The bamboo across from them rustled and shook, and a humanoid shape scurried away deeper into the forest. It sent shudders down Murasa's spine, for some reason.

"If the bamboo here is burnt like this... Then that must have been the girl we're looking for." she said. "We can't lose her. Let's pick up the pace!"

They started to move faster, coming upon more and more burnt out clearings, until they found a tiny settlement, with moon rabbits scurrying here and there. A pillar of fire appeared in the air, seeming to come from the heart of the small village. A woman with long, dingy white hair and a red and blue dress approached them, exhausted and covered in soot. Her face was covered by a doctor's mask, and she was brandishing a scalpel at them. Her grey eyes were colder than the slush that seemed to make them up, and pierced into their very beings like daggers.

"I don't know who you are, but if you're planning on hurting Princess Kaguya, you'll have to eliminate me, first. We've enough trouble already. Begone." she hissed.

"No, we're here to help," Murasa explained. "We're looking for Fujiwara no Mokou, and she seemed to end up here."

The woman slightly lowered her scalpel, but her gaze narrowed even further.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"On my honor, the honor of my crew, and the ship we sailed in on, we mean no harm. We've come to deal with Mokou, nothing more, nothing less."

The woman slipped her scalpel into a pocket in her dress, beckoned for them to follow her, and set off at a brisk pace. They jogged to keep up with her, and zigzagged through a maze of corridors, only to end up in the center of a miniature community, engulfed in a firey blaze. A girl stood in the center of all the destruction, the crackling flames distorting her figure. Her hair was pure white, and filled with talisman bows, while her clothes were a striking red, covered in those same talismans. The flames lapped at her heels like loyal pets, and her dull, red eyes glimmered like tiny onyxes at the chaos. This was the immortal Phoenix of Gensokyo: Fujiwara no Mokou.


	11. Chapter 10

Mokou swaggered over to Murasa and her crew, a distasteful look on her face.

"So, I'll assume you're here to get rid of me, eh?" she said, her voice sultry and disdainful.

"Not necessarily. If you come with us quietly, we won't lay a finger on you." said Murasa.

Mokou harumphed and stuck her hands into her pockets.

"Y'see, here's the problem with that: Lord DIO told _me_ that _you_ were the real bad guys. And Lord DIO would never lie to one of his followers."

"I promise you, madame, there is nothing truthful about DIO's word." said Jonathan.

Mokou ignored him and began to pace back and forth, examining the small squadron.

"It's not like you all can stop me anyway. Look at you. You look like you haven't fought a day in your lives."

"If you think that's the case, then have at us, villain!" said Jonathan.

"No need to tell me twice." said Mokou.

She immediately sprung forward, her fists engulfed in a firey blaze. Mokou bobbed and weaved, sneaking in punches wherever she could. Jonathan was halfheartedly defending himself, dealing only one blow for every 7 she dealt. His face was scrunched in concentration, but it was obvious that he couldn't keep up with her. Murasa pushed him out of the way as best she could, and decided it was time to use drastic measures.

"Harbor Sign, 'Eternally Anchored Ghost Ship'!"

Her anchor split into 12 glowing blue ones, each with a tail of circular blue bullets. Her eyes turned into glowing, sea green abysses, and she had a vice grip on the biggest anchor. As she lifted it overhead, the others followed suit, and she threw it with all her might. They all came crashing down, and one pinned Mokou to the ground. The immortal struggled against its weight, and wriggled to dodge the overwhelming danmaku trails left in their wake. Murasa retracted her anchors, ready to attack again, when Mokou sprung up with a spellcard of her own.

"Immortal 'Fire Bird - Flying Phoenix'!"

The fire spread from her fists to her entire body, and gave her the silhouette of a phoenix. She then charged at Murasa, oblong red danmaku blazing out her flight path. Murasa barely rolled out of the way, but Mokou didn't stop. She barreled directly into Josuke, who wasn't as quick to react as Murasa was. The sheer force from their collision sent him tumbling away, enough to put out the fire, but also to keep him on the ground in pain.

"Y-you miscreant!" shouted Jonathan, his eyes glazed over with rage.

He snatched Shizuka's sword out of its sheath, and sprinted forward, lifting it overhead to strike. Mokou dashed to meet him, a cocky grin on her face. To her surprise, Jonathan sidestepped her approach, slammed his elbow into the small of her back, and planted his foot squarely onto it, keeping her on the ground. He turned her over, replaced his foot, and held the sword's point to her neck.

"You _will_ come quietly with us, or I will be forced to use brute force." he said, his voice filled with pure malice.

Murasa was slightly terrified, as she had never seen Jonathan this angry before. The fact that everything around them was ablaze didn't help, either. Mokou spat directly in his face, and he drove the sword closer to her neck.

"Oi, oi. No need to kill the girl." said Jotaro, waltzing over lazily. "She's definitely being controlled, so this might be out of character for her. Someone come hold her still."

Joseph and Jolyne bound her arms and feet with Hermit Purple and Stone Free, and Jotaro knelt next to her, holding her face still with his hands. Star Platinum pinched something on her forehead, and began to pull. A tentacle that seemed to appear from thin air stabbed Jotaro's hand, causing him to wince slightly. Mokou's brows furrowed, and she glared at him.

"Let me go! Get your dirty hands off me, you piece of shit!" she snarled.

"Stay still." he replied dryly, not taking his eyes off her forehead.

Everyone held their breath as Star Platinum removed what Murasa could only describe as a tiny tentacled monster from the phoenix girl. It writhed and squirmed, and eventually melted into ash. Joseph and Jolyne released her, and a shine returned to her eyes, making them look more alive and free. Her eyelids fluttered, and she looked extremely confused.

"Wh... What the hell happened to me?" she said, raising a hand to her forehead.

"You were being mind controlled." said Jotaro dismissively. "But we took care of it, and now you've gotta come with us."

"Huh? Why would I do some dumb shit like that?" she sneered.

"A, we saved your life," said Joseph, annoyed. "B, We've got some questions to ask, and C, you want to get revenge, right?"

Mokou contemplated this, and looked around at the crowd of expectant faces. She was visibly uncomfortable. Thunder rumbled overhead, and it began to storm.

"...Fine. I'll come with you." she said, standing up. Her footing was uncertain and she almost fell a few times.

"Hey, someone help her. And get Josuke, too." said Murasa.

Their caravan traveled once more through the labyrinth of hallways, rabbit youkai fleeing at the sight of Mokou. A girl with long black hair and a regal gait crossed their path, her hands hidden in the sleeves of her pink shirt. A long, burgundy skirt trailed behind her.

"I see you've taken care of our... _Vermin problem_." she said with a scoff. "You have my deepest thanks."

She strolled away, her nose high in the air. Murasa didn't like her, and she'd only known the girl for all of 3 seconds.

"C'mon. We don't have time to waste on stuck-up ladies like her." she said sourly.

They made their way through the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, Mokou leading the way through this time around. It was dark by the time they broke through the final stretch of bamboo, and everyone was soaking wet. As they were boarding, Jonathan stumbled, and Murasa raised an eyebrow at him. He gave her a gentle smile, and continued onward unbothered. Murasa slowly shambled to her quarters, and practically threw herself onto her desk chair. Soon enough, she fell into a deep sleep, the glow of danmaku and fire still imprinted on her eyelids.


	12. Chapter 11

Murasa was roused from her usual nightmare by someone incessantly pounding on the door. She sluggishly opened it, only to see a distressed Giorno mid-knock.

"Don't you know what time it is? What do you need?" she said sleepily.

"I'm sorry to intrude, Captain, but... Jonathan is in critical condition. As soon as we got to our rooms, he slumped over and passed out. He's in bed now, but he's got a startlingly high fever and his heart is beating extremely fast. We're worried about him, and Josuke is out of commission for the next 3 days or so while his own injuries heal." he said.

"Something's wrong with Jonathan!?"

"Yes, but we're unsure as to what."

"...Take me to him."

Giorno gently took her hand, leading her into the belly of the ship. The dim lamps lining the way cast enormous shadows on the walls. They reminded Murasa of her childhood, her time spent slinking around the house, a candlestick held aloft. Her reminiscing was cut short, however, as they came upon their destination. And sure enough, there Jonathan was, the thin blanket pulled up to his neck, and beads of sweat dripping down his face. He seemed to be in a lot of pain.

"The fever's gone down somewhat, but his heartbeat is still accelerated, and his breathing is really shallow." said Johnny.

Murasa pressed a hand to her temples, and let out a huge sigh. This, as usual, was her fault.

"Has Jonathan been exposed to smoke before?"

"I think so...? His childhood home burned down a long time ago, but I don't know if he was caught up in it." said Joseph.

"If that's the case, then he's inhaled too much smoke. The only thing we can do is take him to the top deck and hope for the best."

"What do you mean, 'hope for the best'?! This is my great grandfather's life on the line!" shouted Shizuka.

"I know you're upset, Shizuka, but-"

Shizuka grabbed Murasa by the lapels, her eyes glistening with furious tears. Her easygoing, carefree demeanor was gone, and in its place was the passion of a dying star.

"My great grandfather is one of the few people I care deeply about. If you're going to be this indifferent about it, then maybe I should go."

And with that, she stormed off, leaving the air still and stagnant. Murasa's cheeks flushed. That was _not_ supposed to happen.

"We've gotta get him some fresh air. I'll meet you all outside." she said, sliding awkwardly out of the room.

She followed the sounds of an angry child, and eventually found Shizuka sitting on the base of the prow of the Palanquin, her knees drawn to her chest. Her face was red and blotchy, and she was sniffling up a storm.

"Go away. I'm _really_ not in the mood."

Murasa ignored this, sitting almost directly next to her. She took off her hat, and clutched it in one hand to prevent herself from putting it on the girl's head.

"I... I know you're kinda miffed at me, and I just wanted to apologize for being such a... Pardon my French, but I was acting like a huge ass back there, and it wasn't fair to you."

To her surprise, Shizuka leaned onto Murasa's shoulder, grasping at the cloth so tight that it threatened to tear at the seams. She had the overwhelming smell of cinnamon.

"Jonathan is... One of the few people I'd lay my life on the line for. He's the person my father reveres the most, and he's taught me mostly everything I know. I'm even his namesake, surname wise. His kindness means a lot to me, y'know?" she said, whisper quiet.

Murasa stayed silent, not wanting to detract from her feelings with an anecdote of her own. Shizuka continued, her voice hoarse and scratchy.

"If he d-died... I... I wouldn't be able to bear it. T-things wouldn't be the same without him."

She drew the girl into a tight hug, trying not to cry herself. Murasa knew this feeling all too well. Dedicating your life to someone definitely isn't easy, and when that person's mortality comes into question, it can shake even the sturdiest person to their core.

"He won't die." Murasa whispered, gently running her fingers through silky, jet-black locks. "I can promise you that."

And she began to hum, an old tune that her parents used to get her to sleep. It was something they created when she was born, almost predicting her love for the sea.

'It was all in your eyes, darling.' is what her father would tell her time and time again. 'That's why we called it "Captain ———". You were destined for the sea from the start.'

She considered it a theme of sorts, as it always came to her mind one way or another. Eventually, she had replaced her real name's place in the title with her alias, making it Captain Murasa. It was one of the few bittersweet memories that had stuck with her when she became a funa yuurei. She heard snoring after a while, and looked down to see Shizuka's head in her lap, her chest rising and falling. Murasa gave her a mellow smile. She was a child, after all. She heard voices calling her name, and looked to see the other Joestars, waiting for her. She waved them over, not wanting to disturb Shizuka. Jolyne was the only one that came, as the others were wary of being that close to the edge of the ship.

"Jonathan's doing much better. You've got a good eye, Captain."

"I wouldn't say that. It was just a hunch."

"It was a damn good one, then." she said with a grin. "Oh, and we wanted to apologize for Shizuka's behavior. We've never-"

"It's okay. We worked it out, and I think she'll be happy to hear that her great grandfather is okay." Murasa interjected.

"I see. You must be tired. Want me to take her?"

"Nah, she's good. I don't mind sitting here for a while, so she won't wake up."

Jolyne gave a hum of contentment, and left the duo to their own devices. Murasa placed her hat on the youth's head, shielding her eyes from the rising dawn's light. Having nothing else to do, she continued to hum quietly, keeping time by swinging her feet.


	13. Chapter 12

Murasa and Shizuka were the first people to visit Jonathan in the morning, to no one's surprise. He was still on the cot they brought him up on, but he had managed to prop himself up on one elbow. He smiled cheerily at them, looking no more worse for wear than he did yesterday.

"Well, look at you two, sleeping on the prow of the ship! That's true bravery, if I've ever seen it." he said, beaming with pride.

"It was less _us_ sleeping and more _Shizuka being conked out on my lap_." Murasa snickered.

"Yeah, but Murasa almost cried last night, so who's the _real_ liar here?" she replied, shooting the ship ghost a dirty look.

"Emphasis on the _almost_ , dear."

"So you admit it, huh?"

"N-no, I never said that."

" _Murasa's a crybaby_!"

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are to-"

"That's enough, you two." Giorno said with an exasperated sigh.

The pair jumped in fright, and turned around to see the golden haired boy, an annoyed sneer on his face, along with the other Joestars.

"I'd expect this from Shizuka, but not our _captain_." said Jotaro, a smirk plastered across his face.

"Tch. You could stand to lighten up a little, yourself." Murasa replied. "How's the firebrand doing?"

"She's still kind of bitter about this whole situation, but other than that, she's doing okay." said Johnny.

"Have any of you tried questioning her?"

"We did, but... None of us have a bloody clue as to what she's talking about!" complained Joseph. "It's almost like she's speaking a different language!"

"Yeah, she seemed really out of it. I remember her talking about someone named Hecatia, and somewhere called the Lunar Capital?" said Jolyne.

"Are you _sure_ she said the **_Lunar Capital_**?" said Murasa incredulously.

"I remember it clear as day. That's what she kept mentioning, over and over." said Gappy.

Murasa buried her face in her hands and let out a loud sigh. There was _no way in hell_ that they could get to the moon. Especially not on a _boat_.

"Is something wrong, Captain Minamitsu?" questioned Jonathan.

"We can't go to the Lunar Capital." stated Murasa grimly.

"Huh?! Why not?" exclaimed Shizuka.

"It's on the moon." said Murasa curtly.

"T-the moon, you say?" said Jonathan, confusion layered thickly over his voice.

"Yes. The moon." Murasa replied.

"How in the Sam Hill hell are we supposed to get _there?!_ " said Joseph.

"That's my point, Joseph. We can't. It's impossible."

"But there's gotta be a way! We got to the land of the dead, so surely we can get to the moon?" said Gappy, plucky as ever.

"I hate to break it to you all, but the moon is in the heavens, and we're stuck here on land, or, well, at sea. The only way we're getting up there is a gap from Yukari, or some sort of miracle. Even then, none of you can breathe, and I don't want blood on my hands because of something preventable. The Lunarians will figure something out; and when they do, Hecatia will be perfectly fine. So, we're not going, and that's final. Do I make myself clear?" said Murasa with a tone of finality.

Silence blanketed itself over the crew. They were extremely upset, and a few of them looked genuinely pissed. As much as Murasa didn't want to disappoint them, especially not when the world was at stake like this, her hands were tied.

"If I may, captain," piped up Johnny after a while. "Perhaps... Perhaps we don't need Yukari. Aren't there lots of mystical women here with weird powers? Someone _has_ to be able to get us up there, by hook or crook. Or, at least, they know how to get there. Giving up hope like this will get us nowhere, so we have to try something."

"...As much as I want to deny it, you're right. However, I want to make something known: if we do find a way up there, I don't want all of us going. Jonathan and Josuke are staying behind for sure, but they also need someone to watch over them, along with Erina and the others. The Lunar Capital is dangerous, and because I'm a youkai, things may get hectic."

No one protested, although there was a few flickers of disappointed looks. On the same hand, though, no one volunteered themselves to stay.

"That's how it's going to be, hmm? You've forced my hand, then. Shizuka, Gappy, and Giorno, you three are to remain here with everyone else, and are responsible for the upkeep of the ship and the health of those forced to remain behind."

"What?! That's sooooooo not fair!" Shizuka objected.

"It's dangerous up there, and I'd rather you not be killed by a race of people you know nothing about." snapped Murasa. Shizuka fell into a brooding silence.

Gappy and Giorno took their duties in stride, for which Murasa was thankful. She knew she could trust them with taking care of things, at the very least.

"As for the rest of us, if we do get to the moon, be on guard. We never know what's in the Lunar Capital, and there will be no difference between friend or foe, as far as we're concerned-"

"That's all well and dandy," interrupted Joseph. "But where will we even begin to ask about getting to the moon? This land is huge, you know, and we don't have the time to search every suspicious nook and cranny."

"The smartest course of action would be to ask someone directly involved in the Kanjuden Incident. Reimu Hakurei and Reisen Inaba are both a no-go, as Eientei is currently still in shambles, and the Hakurei Shrine is busy trying to keep order. I wouldn't know where to find Marisa Kirisame, so she's out. Therefore, Sanae Kochiya of the Moriya Shrine is our best hope." said Murasa.

"A shrine, huh? Sounds boring. Are you sure this person can actually help us?" said Jotaro, raising his eyebrow.

"Nope. But it never hurts to try, right?" Murasa said with a grin. "There's not much else we can do, anyway, so let's get going. The faster we get to that shrine, the faster we can hopefully get to the moon, and by extension, the faster we can save Gensokyo!"

As soon as she started to make preparations to leave, Josuke hobbled onto the top deck, supported by a crutch, Erina in tow behind him.

"Josuke, darling, you simply _must_ stay in bed!" she shouted after him.

He ignored her and marched up to Murasa best as as he could. He was livid.

"I don't know where you all are about to go, but I'm _not_ getting left behind. There's no way in hell."


	14. Chapter 13

Josuke's breathing was heavy and punctuated by tiny gasps, and the crudely made crutch under his arm was supporting most of his weight. His face was awash with anger, and his hair was messy and disheveled.

"You're in no shape to go anywhere, Josuke. Let Erina patch you up." said Murasa, unfazed by his threats.

"No. I'm going with you guys. What if something happens and I'm not there to help?! What if someone gets hurt?" he spat, trying to conceal the waver in his voice.

"No one is going to get hurt except for you, Josuke, if you keep being stubborn. Return below decks with Erina. That's an order."

"And what're you gonna do if I don't, _huh_?" he said, gritting his teeth and stepping closer to her.

"Don't you worry your little head about it, _pretty boyq_." Murasa said venomously, stepping to meet him.

Despite him being at least a foot and a half taller than her, Murasa knew she could take him in a fight. He was all talk. It wasn't honorable, but she didn't care, at this point. Someone had to put him in his place, and Erina sure as hell wasn't going to do it. However, a sword split the little bit of space between them. They both turned simultaneously to see Shizuka, slightly crossed.

"Listen. We're all a little antsy, seeing as great grandpa Jonathan is not at his best right now. But that's no excuse for this nonsense. Now, Josuke, you listen to Captain Minamitsu. She's looking out for you, and you should be grateful for that." she scolded. "And as for you, Captain Minamitsu, don't let things like this get a rise out of you. Be the bigger person, and let it go."

"But Shizu, she-"

"Shizuka, I-"

A small bit of hamon crackled up the length of the blade, its snaps and pops expressing what words couldn't. The both of them could feel her glare pierce through her sunglasses straight into their souls. They both looked at eachother, abashed that a 12 year old had to set them straight. Neither of them said a word as Erina gently took Josuke by the arm and led him away. Shizuka sheathed her sword and sighed.

"Honestly, his temper is gonna put him in serious danger one of these days. I wish he'd take better care of himself." she huffed. "But that's not the issue at hand. Don't we have somewhere to be?"

Murasa didn't have to be told twice. She sprung into action, and the Palanquin was smoothly sailing in almost no time.

As they docked, a mountain loomed over them, looking almost menacing. Close to its peak, the Moriya Shrine dutifully sat, barely in their line of sight.

"We have to climb a _mountain_?!" Joseph exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "I did _not_ sign up for this!"

"If you'd rather stay behind, you could _always_ swap places with Giorno or Gappy. I'm sure Jonathan and Josuke would more than appreciate it." Murasa retorted.

He gave an indignant huff, but said nothing more. Murasa strolled over to the base of the mountain, hoping they wouldn't have to do too much actual climbing. To her relief, a roughly hewn dirt path wound this way and that, leading to what Murasa hoped was the top. They slowly began their ascent, stopping along the way to admire the gorgeous scenery. Autumn leaves tumbled playfully in the wind, dotting the paths ahead with red, orange, yellow, and brown speckles. The smell of baked sweet potatoes lingered in the air, and they had passed a waterfall that overflowed with crystal clear water. The dirt path eventually turned into stone, and the group came to a skinny pavillion, with towering spires supporting its high roof. At its end were stairs that extended out the rest of the way. With a sigh of discontent, they ascended them. Reaching the top, they all broke out into tired smiles. The Moriya Shrine looked more welcoming than ever. A girl with green hair and blue clothes with white speckles was sweeping out front. She looked up and cheerily waved.

"Hello! Welcome to the Moriya Shrine! How can I help you all today?" she said, walking over to properly greet them.

"Are you Sanae?" Murasa asked.

"Aye, that's me. Need a youkai exterminated? Or a miracle performed? Perhaps you'd like to make a-"

"We need to know how you got to the Lunar Capital." Jotaro said bluntly.

Sanae almost dropped her broom in surprise, and her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"I-I... Uh... W-why'd you f-f-figure I'd know?" she stammered.

"You went to fight Junko and the hell faeries, did you not?" said Murasa.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Either way, it's none of your business."

"Work with us here, Sanae. The fate of Gensokyo hangs in the balance, here."

"...I crossed through the dreamworld." she hesitantly explained, leaning onto the handle of her broom. "Look for a girl named Ringo, at the lake near here. She'll lead you to Doremy. After you meet her, she'll help you out, for a price."

"We're not looking for apples or musical notations." said Jotaro. "Either give us some actual help, or point us to someone who can."

"No, not _ringo_ and _do re mi_ , _Ringo_ , who is a moon rabbit, and _Doremy_ , the manager of the Dream World. Her last name is Sweet." snapped Sanae.

"What do we do once we get into the Lunar Capital?" said Murasa hastily.

"That, I can't tell you. You'll just have to figure it out. The Lunarians are a difficult bunch, and there's no guarantee they'll actually help you. Your best bet would be to look for a lunar sage." she paused, a grimace on her face. "I don't know what you're going to the Lunar Capital for, but... I wish you all the best."

And with that, she sped off into the the shrine, leaving her broom to clatter loudly on the ground.


	15. Chapter 14

The group had wandered for hours, going around and around and around in circles, but they finally came upon the seemingly fabled lake. A rabbit sat cross legged at the opposite bank, her white ears bobbing up and down with the movement of her head. The chocolaste brown beret nestled between them didn't do much to keep them in place, but it matched nicely with her electric yellow hair. She held a yellow and brown shirt (similar to the one she was wearing) and a washboard in one hand, and a stick with white dango in the other. The sun began to set lower in the sky. She noticed this, stuck the entire dango stick into her mouth, and began to scrub and chew simultaneously with vigor. Her hands moved at the speed of light, and her shirt was squeaky clean before the sun even dared to kiss the mountain tops. She cleanly removed the leftover bamboo stick and picked at her teeth a bit with it. She then wiped the sweat off her forehead, and looked up to see her unannounced visitors.

"Well, I'll be! 'S been a while since I've had comp'ny." she said, her voice loud despite the drawl hanging off of it. "Don't be shy, I don't bite."

Murasa skirted around the edge of the lake, slightly suspicious of her. The rabbit extended a hand, and in it was another dango stick, this one green and white.

"Go on, have some. Does a body good." she said while patting her stomach.

She took it cautiously, and pulled off one of the green dango. It seemed normal enough, albeit, it was stickier than what she was used to. She shrugged and popped it into her mouth, chewing decidedly. It was slightly minty, and didn't stick to the roof of her mouth, like she expected.

"Good, right?"she waved the others over. "Y'all come on over!"

They slowly inched around, and she gave them a hospitable smile.

"I don't have enough to give everybody a full one of their own, but I've got enough for each of y'all to have a single one."

With that, she held out a long bamboo stick with 9 multicolored dango skewered onto it.

"I almost forgot to introduce myself! I'm Ringo, a rabbit from the moon. Nice to meet y'all."

Everyone was too busy chewing to give a proper response, so they only nodded. Ringo smirked a bit.

"Y'all look dead tired, and you wouldn't come all this way for nothing," she stood. "I'll let y'all rest up a bit in the probe I came here on. We can talk business in the morning."

Murasa and her crew thanked her profusely, and she simply waved them off.

"'S jus hospitality. Y'all rest easy now."

As sleep tugged at her eyelids, Murasa swore she saw Ringo snicker.

—

She had ended up in space for her dream, which was quite unusual, but welcome, considering her typical nightmares. As she floated about aimlessly, she felt her arms degenerate into limp jelly. Her crew was a little ways away, bumbling about confusedly. A girl with a bright red cap and a swishing tail addressed them, her voice surreal and yet, quite serene.

"No, come this way! Not- Ugh. Forget it. Your nightmares weren't worth eating anyway."

She spotted Murasa, and made her way over, a hungry gleam in her eye.

"Now, as for _you_... I'll _definitely_ eat your drea- Wait a moment..." she said, looking Murasa up and down. "You're awake! Or... at least, your spirit is. The last person who did that wanted to get to the Lunar Capital. Is it safe to assume that you want the same?"

Murasa nodded sluggishly. Her brain felt like much and all of the words she wanted to say liquefied as soon as they touched her voice box.

"I see, I see. And those lugs, over there," she jerked a thumb behind her. "You want me to send them too, yes~?"

The dreamy figure chuckled for a bit at Murasa's struggle, and pointed behind her a little ways away.

"Make your way over that way, and you'll end up at the Lunar Capital. Though, I do recommend heeding their dictations to the letter. It won't end well for you if you don't."

Murasa managed to ask the strange girl for her name, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't keep herself from slurring.

"My name? Doremy. Doremy Sweet."

"Do... Re... Mi?"

"Fa-So-La-Ti-Do." she replied smugly. "But in all seriousness, I'm Doremy, the manager of Gensokyo's dreamworld."

Even if she wanted to, Murasa couldn't question her, as she had began to float away. Doremy politely waved at her, smiling cheekily all the while. She slowly extended a hand, but her vision blurred it into a pale blob. The silence was killing her, and as she floated along, frigid air wrapped itself around her, chilling her to her core. The atmosphere had woke her up a bit, and she turned to see pure whiteness contrasting against a black sky speckled with tiny sparkles. She began to kick her feet, reaching out to it.

 _Just a little longer._ _Just a little while longer._

Murasa repeated this over and over as the moon's surface came closer and closer. The outlines of craters jutted out of the blinding white, jagged and of an unknown depth. It was in one of the more shallow ones that she made contact with solid ground. She rolled down the side, holding her arms up to her face to protect it from the dust. As she stood and coughed away the last bit of the glittery cloud that had formed, she could see the towering spires of a city rising into the depths of space. Her crew shortly made their way down as well, still half asleep from the journey over. Murasa climbed up to the edge of the crater and the rest of the city came into view, imposing on the landscape, and yet fitting, in some odd way.

"We're here." she whispered as she sat on the crater's edge. "The Lunar Capital."


	16. Chapter 15

They came upon a gate guarded by two moon rabbits with spears, who crossed them at the hilt as they approached.

"Halt. Where do you all think you're going?" they said in perfect unison.

"...Into the Lunar Capital?" said Murasa.

"Not a chance. Leave." they responded.

"We simply cannot, ladies. We've got business here—" attempted Joseph, easygoing and casual.

One of the rabbits pointed her spear dangerously close to his neck, and his hands flew up instinctively. Her upper lip was curled into a cruel snarl, and her eyes were cold and lifeless.

"I don't care. Leave, or we'll make you leave."

"And what're you gonna do? Hop at us a bunch?" asked Jotaro sarcastically.

They didn't seem to take very kindly to this, and suddenly there was a battle of raised voices, indignant squeaks, and empty threats between the gatekeepers and the travelers. The gates suddenly burst open, and a girl with one wing and short silver hair walked out, a hand on her hip.

"What's all this fuss about? I can hear you all from inside." she said.

All at once, everyone tried to speak, their hands gesticulating wildly. The woman wasn't paying them any attention, instead choosing to focus her accusatory gaze on Murasa. It made her extremely uncomfortable, but she stood her ground, looking her directly in the eye. The girl eventually whispered something to the two moon rabbits, and they stood down, visibly irritated.

"You all. Come with me." she said, already on her way to wherever they had to go.

They all jogged behind her, struggling to keep up. She took no notice of this, and kept up her brisk pace. All around them, whispers and snickers sounded from the shadows. Clearly, Lunarians were quick to judge, and were always trying to out gossip each other. Murasa tried to keep her head held high, but she couldn't help being reminded of her village. She shook off the negative memories as best as she could, and focused on the task at hand. The girl had stopped in front of a small house, hidden away in an alley. She pressed her ear against the door, listened intently for a moment, and pushed it open with a click.

"I'm home!" she shouted to no one in particular.

She beckoned her guests inside, and flopped down on a couch. Out of a table next to one of its arms, she got a notepad and a pen. She scribbled something on it, and handed it to Murasa.

 _'I am Sagume Kishin, a Lunar Sage.'_ it read. _'Everything I say gets reversed, somehow, so in order to speak with you properly, I must communicate in this way.'_

She took the notepad back, and wrote more.

 _'Now, the reason I've decided to help you, is because I recognized someone among your ranks. The one with the green scarf. The humans that I granted sanctuary have mentioned him many a time, so I know that anyone with him must be trustworthy. In fact, that's why I had to do so much to open the door. Non-Lunarians aren't welcome here, especially ones that just appear out of thin air, so I have to keep them a secret. Every time I leave, I worry that when I come back, I won t hear their voices behind the door. But, that never comes to pass, thank the stars. In any case, what business do you have in this place, fair travelers? We don't get many visitors who hail from Gensokyo.'_

"We're here to find Hecatia Lapislazuli. Someone's been kidnapping people all over Gensokyo, and if they aren't stopped, it might be catastrophic." explained Murasa. "We saved one of them, and they pointed us in this direction."

 _'I see. I do, in fact, know something about her whereabouts. The last place I saw her was-'_

All of a sudden, someone cleared their throat at the top of the stairs. Sagume's head snapped to look at the source of the noise, and she held her breath.

"Really, Sagume, if you're going to be out for a while, it would't kill you to leave a note. You had us worried sick." they said, their voice getting louder as they descended the stairs.

"And it wouldn't kill _you_ to let someone know you're okay _when they enter the house_." She let out a relieved chuckle. "Come say hello to our guests."

A man with blonde hair and pink triangle shaped birthmarks on his cheeks leaned on the banister, his lip curled in amusement. Behind him stood a woman with long black hair and even darker sunglasses, her arms gently folded. She, too, had a gentle smile on her face. Joseph's eyes widened, and a grin crept onto his face.

"Caesar! Lisa Lisa! You two are the last people I expected to see." He said, failing to conceal the excitement in his voice.

"I could say the same about you, JoJo. Where've you been, huh?" teased Caesar.

"Oh, nowhere special, just on a totally awesome ship." Joseph bragged.

"A ship, eh? I'll assume that that girl in green and white is its captain, unless you usurped her position?" he responded.

"I sure am. Joseph couldn't take candy from a baby, let alone a position from a seasoned captain like me." Murasa said.

Joseph glared at her, and she smirked at him.

"Everything checks out, then. Clearly, I can trust you all." Sagume said. "Now, about Hecatia..."

She wrote one more thing on the piece of paper that she was working with earlier, and proceded to tear it off. Murasa took it from her, and read it aloud.

"Go to the Sea of Tranquility. You will find Hecatia there for sure."

"However," interjected Sagume, "Be wary, as purified hell faeries are surely running amok, and they'll definitely be protecting her. If you do encounter one, there will be more that come, so avoid them altogether. And... Caesar, Lisa Lisa, accompany them. You two are more familiar with the moon than they are, and I can't just up and leave the Lunar Capital to be their guide."

The pair nodded solemnly, and descended the stairs to join the group. Caesar slung his arm around Joseph's shoulder.

"Looks like we're on another adventure together, JoJo. Try not to get in my way." he said jokingly.

"I'm better off saying that to you." Joseph coyly replied.

"Be careful out there." Sagume said, her voice laden with worry. Her well wishes fell on mostly deaf ears, save for one person.

"We will, Sagume. Don't worry about us." Lisa Lisa coolly responded, her back turned towards the Lunar Sage. "I have faith that we'll return safely."

And with that, the door was shut, leaving the one-winged Sage to fret over their safety in solitude.


End file.
